Jets fall apart in all phases during the first half

The math for the Jets’ first half was as ugly as it was decisive. Four turnovers and three secondary breakdowns equaled five second-quarter Patriots touchdowns.

It also added up to epic embarrassment Thursday night in New England’s 49-19 blowout victory in front of a national TV audience and an angry MetLife Stadium crowd.

The comedy of errors included all phases. Offense. Defense. Special teams.

In a span of 6:03, the Patriots scored their first four touchdowns, all off turnovers. Three of the scores -- off three fumbles -- came in a 52-second span, including two returned by the New England defense for touchdowns.

of the scores -- off three fumbles -- came in a 52-second span.

Yes, three touchdowns in only 52 seconds.

The Patriots became just the third team to score that many in less than a minute since the 1970 merger. They led 35-3 at the half.

“I’ve never seen it before personally,” New England running back Shane Vereen said.

“I’m sure I’ve seen it before, but it has been a while,” Wes Welker said.

Rex Ryan was caught by an NBC camera spitting an obscenity of disbelief on the sideline after the fourth score.

Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff waved his hand dismissively toward the field in utter disgust.

And boos rained down from the crowd, soon followed by the chant of “Te-BOW!, Te-BOW!, Te-BOW!” calling for backup quarterback Tim Tebow to enter the game. They did not call for him to save the season, but to provide a distraction as the Thanksgiving night crowd already had begun to thin.

“I thought it was almost impossible to score 35 points in a quarter, but they found a way to do it,” Ryan said. “... 35 points in a quarter is ridiculous.”

And they virtually ended the Jets playoff hopes at 4-7.

Play like a Jet, indeed.

“I can’t explain it,” Dustin Keller said of the string of turnovers/touchdowns. “It’s just crazy to have that many turnovers the way that we had them. We’re just killing ourselves. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is.

“But the offense, we just handed them points basically.”

Here’s the anatomy of the second-quarter debacle.

The seeds were planted in the first period when Mark Sanchez ended a promising drive with yet another interception -- this time a telegraphed pass to safety Steve Gregory.

Tom Brady took the gift and found a wide-open Welker -- corner Ellis Lankster was sort of in the neighborhood expecting help -- for a 3-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

The slaughter was on.

Touchdown No. 1, 7-0, 14:54 remaining in the half.

On the ensuing Jets drive, Shonn Greene fumbled on a 4th-and-1 from the Patriots’ 31-yard-line.

Brady needed one play to again make the Jets pay, hitting Vereen for an 83-yard catch-and-run touchdown when Bart Scott got tangled up while in coverage.

Touchdown No. 2, 14-0, 9:43 remaining in the half.

Now it gets interesting.

Two plays into the next Jets possession, a botched handoff left Sanchez with the ball and nowhere to go. He ran directly into right guard Brandon Moore’s backside -- you cannot make this up -- and was driven backward and fumbled.

Gregory -- who made the first-quarter interception and recovered Greene’s fumble -- scooped up another loose ball and sprinted 32 yards for the score.

Greene said the play was designed to be a handoff to fullback Lex Hilliard. But Sanchez admitted he ran the wrong play.

“I was thinking a different play in my head,” he said. “Just a mental error there. So as soon as I realized there was nobody to hand it to, I started to run toward the line and tried to cover it up and just get down, and I slid right into Brandon Moore.”

Moore was in no mood to discuss the play.

“Why do I need to talk about that?” he said. “I don’t understand why y’all keep asking about that play.”

Touchdown No. 3, 21-0, 9:00 remaining in the half.

The Patriots point-after-touchdown unit barely had gotten off the field before they were called back.

Joe McKnight fumbled the ensuing kickoff after getting popped by St. Joseph product Devin McCourty. Julian Edelman picked it up and jogged 22 yards for another touchdown.

“You just can’t have turnovers like that, especially in the red zone,” Keller said. “That just kills us. There’s no way you can win when you’re doing that.”

Touchdown No. 4, 28-0, 8:51 remaining in the half.

The Patriots then took a respite, likely too tired from celebrating to score for awhile.

But they eventually broke through again after a break of 5:43, when Brady found a wide open Edelman, who torched LaRon Landry on a 56-yard scoring pass.

Touchdown No. 5, 35-0, 3:08 remaining.

Time left in the Jets season: 0:00.

The only thing that slowed the torture even a little was Nick Folk’s 32-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the half that cut the Patriots lead to 35-3.